Two-wheel warehouse truck



Patented June 24, 1947 TWO-WHEEL WAREHOUSE TRUCK Frank Garbarino,Waltham, Mass., assignor to Lewis-Shepard Company, Watertown, Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application October 12, 1945, Serial No.621,867

(Cl. 28o-56) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in twowheel warehouse trucks andthe principal object of the invention is to provide a truck of thischal'- acter of rigid integral construction which can be convenientlyand economically manufacturedy and in which the side rails are of suchconstruction that maximum strength is obtained where the most strainimposed by the load occurs.

More speciiically the invention comprises a two-wheel warehouse truck inwhich the side frames are of tubular form comprising an uppercylindrical handle section merging into a longer` lower section ofelliptical cross section in which the vertical diameter thereofgradually and pro-- gressively increases to the lower end f the sideframe, whereby maximum strength of the side rails is obtained where themost strain is imposed upon them by the load.

VA further object of the invention is to provide the side rails with anose welded thereto having angularly bent extensions forming wheelbrackets, to which the axle for the wheels is welded, with the ends ofsaid extensions iitting and welded'to'the under faces of the side rails,thereby providingv a construction and assemblage which can be readilymanufactured and when thus assem- 1oled of maximum rigidity.

. A further object of the invention is t0 provide a two-wheel warehousetruck of the character above described with a series of suitably spacedcross bars'having concavedly curved ends respectively itting the convexcurvature of the side rails and which will not extend above the plane ofthe side rails.

A further feature of the invention comprises a construction in which thehandle sections mal7 be provided with curved extensions adaptedconveniently to be grasped by the operator, or alternatively soconstructed as to permit separate curved handles of wood, or othermaterial, to be telescopically clamped therein.

, These and other objects and features of the invention will more fullyappear from the following description and the accompanying drawings andwill be particularly pointed out in the claims.

v Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. -1 is a side elevation of a two-wheel warehouse truck embodying theinvention having detachable curved handles telescopically clamped in thecylindrical tubular section of the side rails;

Fig. '2 is a plan View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3 3 Fig. l, illustratingthe manner in which the curved 2 handle is clamped in the cylindricalhandle section of the side rail;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4 4 Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on line 5-5 Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 6 is a detail `side elevation of a @onanietion in which thecylindrical handle section is provided with a continued curved handgripping porion.

vThe invention as illustrated herein comprises tubular side rails I and2 of like construction which, as illustrated in Fig. 2, convergedownwardly from the upper to the lower end.

Each of the side rails is of tubular form havan upper relatively shortcylindrical section merging into a longer section 4 of ellipticaltransverse cross section with the major axis thereof extendingvertically when the side rails are in horizontal position andprogressively increasing in length and the minor axis graduallydecreasing in length from the cylindrical section to the lower end ofthe main section as suggested by the cro-ss sectional view shown inFigs. 4 and 5. The upper cylindrical tubular section may have a slit` 5extending downwardly from its upper end part of the length of thetubular section with laterally extending ears S and l welded to thetubular section at or adjacent the slit, thereby providingan expansibleportion into which the straight end of a curved handle 8 may be insertedand firmly clamped therein by a bolt 9 extending through said ears witha nut lll on the bolt for clamping the slitted portion of thecylindrical section upon the handle.

The `lower end ofleach of the elliptical tubular sections 4 of the siderails is provided with a flat face Il which is disposed at a suitableangle to the longitudinal axis of the longer section. A nose I2, whichmay be a flat plate or suitably skeletonized, is welded to the flat endsof the elliptical sections l with the nose extending forwardly wellbeyond the side rails. The nose is provided at its ends with rearwardextensions each of which is bent to form an upwardly inclined sectionI3'of suitable length, and a further section I4 bent forwardly andhaving a preferably concave end l5 fitting the curvature of theelliptical main section engaged thereby at a suitable distance from thenose I2. The wheel axle I6 is wvelded to the upwardly inclined sectionsI3 of the rearward extensions of the nose at such position that theperiphery of the wheels l1 which are mounted upon the axle 4I 6 will beproperly positioned relatively to the nose so that the nose can bereadily inserted beneath the article to be raised and the side railsthereupon tipped by the operator around the axle as a fulcrum to raisethe load from the floor and transport it to its destination.

The relative inclination of the side rails to the nose canbe varied bychangingtheangular relation of the vflat-ends'ofthe legstotheaxisthereof, bending the rearward extensions of the nose properly to engagethe side rails, and welding the wheel axle I8 upon the sections I3 insuch position that the periphery of the wheels will be properlypositioned in respect to the nose.

Suitable means are provided V'forrigidlyconnecting the side railstogether in such manner that the cross bars will not extend above theplane of the upper edges of the-side rails `'as distinguished from usualconstructions in which ythe side rails are of conventional structuralbeams and the cross bars .therefor rest upon and are welded yto ltheupper 'faces of such structural members.

In the preferred 'construction illustrated the cross bars I8 are ofchannel shape and provided with con'cavedly'curved'ends which 't theconvex surfaces of the side rails at the'respective positions-engagedthereby'andare weldedV to' the side rails'thereby'forminganintegral construction. "I'hecross bars may be at or downwardly curvedto receive ythe load in accordance With Vthe use in which'the truck isemployed; for example, thecross bars 'may-be straightif rectangularorflatarticles arelto be transported, or concavedly curvedifbarrels orother cylindrical articles are to be carried by the truck.

4The truck may be provided adjacent the upperend .with usual types ofU-shaped legs I9 having laterally .extending 'anges 20 and r2l butwhichdiler'from usual constructions in that the upper-faces of theflanges areconcaved to fit the curvature of the respective side railsections eng-age'd'thereby.

Asa-beve statedthe .cylindrical vhandle section 3.of the sections of theside rails may be provided with .an integral .curved extension 22 asillustrated in Fig. .6 as .distinguished from a detachable handleconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Byreason .of the Apresent invention a warehouse truckis provided whichis of simple and economicalconstruction andof maximumrigidityand-astrength ofthe -side rails is obtained where .the greateststrain is imposed upon them by .the load.

It will be understood that .theparticular embodiment'of 4the .inventionshown and described herein is of .an illustrativecharacter and is notres-trictiveof themeaningand'scope of the following .claims .Having.thus .described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredtoVbe secured by LettersA Patent, is I -1....A two-wheel -warehouse truckcomprising side-.railshaving .upper cylindrical handlesectionsres-pectively merging intolonger main sections -of `ellipticalvtransverse -cross section in which the-major diameter ofsaid'elliptical cross sections extends. verticallywhen the-side railsare in horizontal position -and gradually andprogressivelyincreases-fromthe handle sections to the lower .ends ofthesiderails,-said lower ends having-.natsurfaces in. suitable angularrelation tothe longitudinal axis of the main side .rail section-aa .nose.underlying andvveldedY to said flat endsi and .extending .forwardlytherefrom and having integral angularly bent rearward exten--in'horizontal position and gradually and progressions welded at theirends to the respectve side rails forming wheel hangers and suitablyspaced cross bars having their ends Welded to the respective side rails.

2. A two-Wheel warehouse truck comprising side rails having uppercylindrical handle sections respectively merging into longer mainsections of elliptical transverse cross section in which the majordiameter of said elliptical cross sections extends vertically when theside rails are sively increases from the handle sections to the lowerends or the side rails, said lower ends having flat surfaces in suitableangular relation to Vtheflon'gitudinal axis of the main side railsections, a flat nose underlying and Welded to said llat` ends *andextending forwardly therefrom and having at its ends integral narrowrearward extensions underlying the respective side rails and angularlybent to form wheel hangers and Welded at their ends' to therespectiveside railsgandfsuitably vspaced channel-shaped cross barshaving concavedly curved ends tting the convex curvature ofthe siderails engaged thereby 'and v'welded thereto.

3. A two-wheel vwarehouse truck comprising side rails having uppercylindrical 'handle sections respectively merging into longer mainsections of elliptical transverse cross section in which vthe majordiameter of said elliptical cross sections extends vertically when the'side rails are in horizontal position and gradually and'progressivelyincreases from 'the handle sections `to the lower ends of the siderails, said lower ends having ilatf surfaces in suitable angular'relation tothe -longitu'dinalaxis ofthe'main side rail sections, afatnose underlying and welded-to said flat ends and extending forwardlytherefrom 'and having 'at its ends integral narrowV rearward extensionsunderlying the respective side rails 'bent upwardly'from the plane ofthefflat ends of" the side rails `and `a continuing section bentupwardly into engagement with the respective .'s-ide rails andA having.concave upper ends fitting the curvature of .the side rails andwelded'thereto, anaxle for the wheels welded to theupwardly bent'sections and projecting therefrom, Tand 'wheels mounted upon theprojecting-ends'of saidfaxle, and -a plurality of suitably spacedchannel shaped cross bars respectively having :concave'd ends abuttingand iittingthe curvature 'of the side rails and'welded thereto.

GARBARINO.

REFERENCES 'CITED The following references iile of this patent:

are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS

